Autumn Decorating with Chrysanthemums

When autumn arrives, I love decorating the house with potted chrysanthemums.  Since they blossom in the autumn, they have been called the November Flower or the Queen of Fall Flowers.  They bloom in a variety of colors, but their seasonal shades of crimson, orange, yellow and white adorn any space with an autumn glow.  

Some interesting facts about chrysanthemums. 🌻

• They are part of the Asteraceae family, which includes asters, sunflowers and daisies.
• Swedish botanists, Karl Linnaeus, named the flower from the Greek words chrysos (gold) and anthemon (flower). 
• The National Chrysanthemum Society of the USA was founded in 1944 to preserve and improve the cultivation of chrysanthemums. 
• Depending on the culture and color of the flower, chrysanthemums symbolize happiness, joy, love or grief.  
• In France, gravesites and cemeteries are decorated with chrysanthemums in November for La Toussaint (All Saints' Day) and La Fête de Morts (Festival of the Dead).
• Chrysanthemum flowers have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. 
• They contain a chemical called pyrethrum which is a natural bug repellant. 

By Dodd, Mead and Company - New International Encyclopedia, Public Domain.